1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to wall mounted storage cabinets, and more particularly to a shelf mounting system for such cabinets having shelves which are normally concealed within the cabinet in the conventional manner and which are operable by persons not otherwise able to reach them to swing outwardly and downwardly for ready access by such persons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional cabinets, particularly of the wall mounted type normally found in standard kitchens, are practically inaccessible and thus of very little use to certain groups of people. Thus handicapped people, particularly those in wheelchairs, who are otherwise capable of performing normal homemaking activities within the kitchen and other areas of the home, may be unable to reach items stored in these wall cabinets. Likewise, the elderly ad little people have difficulty storing and retrieving items in such cabinets. Even unhandicapped people of average height have difficulty in reaching the top shelves, and often must precariously stand on a chair or ladder to see or reach items stored thereon.
As a result the top shelves, if not the entire system of wall cabinets, are unusable by such persons in conventionally designed kitchens and baths. Redesign of the kitchen to provide additional low storage space may not be feasible because of cost and space constraints, as well as aesthetic considerations. The upper wall area often represents the best available area for providing storage space. In order to make such space more accessible it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,254 to provide self lowering cabinets wherein the lower portion of the cabinet is stationary, and the upper portion is mounted upon toothed racks engaged by pinion gears so as to move outwardly and downwardly in front of the lower portion for better access. U.S. Pat. No. 2,558,416 discloses a swing down shelf arrangement for cabinets wherein the shelves are mounted upon arms so that with the assistance of a system of springs and pulleys they may swing outwardly and downwardly to a lowered position of more convenient access. By varying the number of springs connected to the shelf arrangement it is said to be possible to maintain the spring tension substantially proportionate to the load as the shelves swing up and down, thus enabling manual operation of the shelves. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,629, there is proposed a kitchen cabinet including a system of linkages whereby a door pivots and folds upwardly and away to thereafter permit shelves to pivot outwardly and downwardly for easier access.
While the above and other prior art devices are of assistance in providing access to normally elevated storage shelves, none has proved entirely satisfactory for use by people with various disabilities, and particularly by handicapped people in wheelchairs. The devices have been relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture and install, and most are not readily and safely operable by very short persons or those seated as in a wheelchair. Most involve the installation of specially designed cabinets incorporating the lowering and raising feature.